COVID19: Why jobs and wages must be protected – NLC

As Nigeria’s Coronavirus figure continues to rise, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has demanded that jobs and wages be protected. The NLC President, comrade Ayuba Wabba, in a statement suggested that to make this possible, factories and businesses will require fiscal stimulus, financial aid and other macro-economic support incentives at this critical time. Wabba stated […]

As Nigeria’s Coronavirus figure continues to rise, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has demanded that jobs and wages be protected.

The NLC President, comrade Ayuba Wabba, in a statement suggested that to make this possible, factories and businesses will require fiscal stimulus, financial aid and other macro-economic support incentives at this critical time.

Wabba stated that millions of workers in the informal sector including their members in the transport, in the markets and all categories of artisans who are involved in involuntary lockdown, demanded for cash grant through their associations to enable them to cope during this difficult time.

Wabba said; “As it is, we foresee a situation where more factories and workplaces will experience closure and reduction in working hours. We insist that workers must not be cannon fodders for these socio-economic fallouts.”

The union, however, saluted the enormous sacrifices of health workers and medical practitioners who are working day and night in the fight against this pandemic.

Despite the union calling for a national lockdown, it noted that lockdowns must be exercised in a way that guarantees citizens, especially the vulnerable groups, including those without income access to essential goods and services to meet basic needs.

The President further stressed that “anything short of this would be an invitation to mass hysteria, confusion and widespread unrests which would extremely complicate the current prevalence of the Covid-19 pandemic.”

Labour called on the government to provide suitable quarantine facilities that inspire confidence in citizens, and assures everyone that infection with Covid-19 and subsequent isolation is not a death sentence. Putting in place other preventive measures against Covid-19 such as hand washing cum sanitising including fumigation of public places, proper protective equipment for health workers, social distancing, and prompt reporting and follow up on suspected cases is clearly far better than treatment.

In order to contain the Covid19 pandemic, NLC called on the government to mobilise and train a standby health workforce in case the current level of infection in our country escalates.

It said, “The standby workforce should be trained especially with specific knowledge on dealing with Covid-19. It would also be useful to call in experienced   healthcare givers no longer in active service, and whose health is reasonably robust, to be part of the war against Covid-19. At the rate of this pandemic, all capable hands must be on deck.”